His plan and His timing

So this week was super great!

We have been working on a list of people that are members that aren't coming to church. It was a really edifying experience and made me think about how I am viewed in the church. Everyone of the families when we talked about the ward showed genuine excitement to hear who is the Bishop. He's someone that's normal like anyone else that gets called and set apart for something special. What would happen if I get called to this position what would I do and what would people do?

So this week I started to plan a talk about what it means to be a Disciple of Christ and to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. I was thinking a lot about a talk given by Elder Holland, Inconvenient Messiah. He talks about the fast of Jesus Christ and how his life wasn't easy and how can we as his disciples think that our lives our going to be easier than his. Christ had the power to do anything that he wanted to do but when he was tempted he chose to not act because he believed that there is a time and place for all things. I have fallen in love with a scripture that is in D&C 64:32-33 because it tells us that we can have faith in the timing of the lord without stopping and waiting for him to do everything for us.

 

32 But all things must come to pass in their time.

33 Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

Sometimes we get complacent as members or think that what we are doing isn't making a difference but that just isn't true we are making a huge difference by doing the little things that the lord wants of us. The adversary is going to attack us in ways that we don't expect by making us think that what we want will come easy or that we cant do it at all, that's a lie from the father of lies!

 

Belief, testimony, and faith are not passive principles they take acting, sharing, and progressing. I really like what my mission presidents wife said the other day, Your words tell people what your thinking but your actions tell people what you believe. 

 

I have felt that we as missionaries really don't do anything..... we study, practice, and work so that God can work through us to do what He wants done. I really like a scripture that is 2 Nephi 27:21 about how God will show that He can do what He wants in His way. To have faith show that you have faith in His plan and His timing.

 

I love you all!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In thinking about Elder Packham's email this week and doing some study to share with him, I found this:

 

Elder Dallin H. Oaks (1932- ) served as president of BYU from 1971-1980.  He was then appointed as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and resigned when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984.

"If we have faith in God and if we are committed to the fundamentals of keeping His commandments and putting Him first in our lives, we do not need to plan every single event—even every important event—and we should not feel rejected or depressed if some things—even some very important things—do not happen at the time we had planned or hoped or prayed.

"Commit yourself to put the Lord first in your life, keep His commandments, and do what the Lord's servants ask you to do. Then your feet are on the pathway to eternal life. Then it does not matter whether you are called to be a bishop or a Relief Society president, whether you are married or single, or whether you die tomorrow. You do not know what will happen. Do your best on what is fundamental and personal and then trust in the Lord and His timing."

- Dallin H. Oaks, "Timing," BYU devotional address, 29 January 2002; see Ensign, Oct. 2003, pp. 10-17
Click here to read the full talk

The Courage to Change

Hello everyone!! So this week was interesting I would like to tell you all now that its officially official---we have a new member of the church in my family and I am over the moon happy for her! What a miracle in my life. I hardly have words to express it. CONGRADULATIONS!!!

So this past week how was your homework of the study of desire in the scriptures? Its part of a 3 part question that I have been asking myself to see if I really have what it takes to be converted. So I hope you all studied.

The second part of this question is the title of this email, the courage to change. I have been studying this and looking for what is courage really. I thought the easiest thing to do would be to go to the dictionary in the bible again but unfortunately in this case it wasn't of any help. So I thought and thought and came to the conclusion the courage is the exercise of our faith. I thought of an example we are in a spot and we cant seen anywhere around us not a peep. 2 Corinthians 5:7 We have faith in the direccion that we have to go but nothing else, our faith begins to move our foot and we have it in the air but that's when Satan starts attacking, and we begin to doubt. This is where we find this courage when our faith and hope combine to give us the courage to keep moving forward. (2 Corinthians 10:15) (Ether 12:4) (James 2:22) I invite you all to study courage in your own way, find out what it means to you and share it with me. 

 

This unique relationship with faith and hope is what really is courage for me. It isn't something really crazy its having faith, hope, and acting on those two things not knowing the outcome. I am reminded of a move with will smith I think its called fearless. He says the fear isn't real, don't mistake his words, danger is real but choosing to have fear is in our power. Something like that but this is courage, having doubts, fearing change, or being stubborn in our ways and still choosing to change. 

 

In our lives we are going to meet people that absolutely hate what we stand for even if they don't know or understand us but in these moments and every moment it is our job to defend the truth. When we do that we will grow in many ways in one of them is our faith ( Jude 1:3) I'm not saying the we should contend with anyone solely defend ourselves with a strong, maybe simple, testimony of what we know in our hearts to be true. ( Helaman 5:12) 

 

I love you all and I bear you my humble witness that I know that these things are true. I know that they can and will change your life if you have the faith and courage to put them in practice. 

 

Con todo mi corazon,

Elder Packham

 

One of the things I really love about Elder Packham's emails is that he invites us to do something.  I did a study of courage and want to share something that I got from President Thomas S Monson:

 

Life’s journey is not traveled on a freeway devoid of obstacles, pitfalls, and snares. Rather, it is a pathway marked by forks and turnings. Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed: the courage to say, “No,” the courage to say, “Yes.” Decisions do determine destiny.

The call for courage comes constantly to each of us. It has ever been so, and so shall it ever be.

 

I think that we have to exercise courage in one form or another each day. In another talk by President Monson he admonished us to have the courage to not judge others.  I think that for most people that is a tough one.  Often in life we are comparing ourselves to others and most likely when we judge - we judge ourselves the hardest.  It took a lot of courage for me to keep pressing forward when Mic died.  It took a lot of courage to be a single mom, and even more courage to get married again.  I know for a fact that our decisions do determine our destiny and I constantly pray for courage to make the right decisions.  When Jacob was serving his mission, not one email went without the phrase, "Be of good courage."  And so it is with my emails to Elder Packham and Elder Harris.  This means to be bold and confident.  That is my hope for all of us!  Below is an excerpt from an email I sent to my two missionaries:

Courage is not the absence of fear but the conquest of fear. Jean Paul Richter, a German philosopher, said about courage, “Courage consists not in blindly overlooking danger but in seeing it and conquering it.”
 

Many people have written of courage. Confucius said, “To see what is right and not do it, is want of courage” (“Chinese Classics,” Contributor [June 1887] 8:304). David Lloyd George said, “Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You cannot cross a chasm in two small jumps.” Sidney Smith said, “A great deal of talent is lost in the world for want of a little courage.” Samuel Johnson said, “Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven’t courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.” An unknown author said, “Without fear there are no heroes, only fools. Never stop being afraid.” Paul Whitehead put it another way: “True courage is not the brutal force of vulgar heroes but the firm resolve of virtue and reason” (in Victor L. Brown, Conference Report, October 1962, 27), and Alfieri said, “Often the test of courage is not to die but to live.”
 

These last two quotes remind me of a talk by Mickey Mantle, the great baseball star of the New York Yankees. In part, he said, “Being brave doesn’t mean being noisy. It doesn’t mean acting big and brassy and knocking people down and saying ‘look how tough I am.’ It means doing what you have to do even when you don’t want to do it; or doing what you have to do when it’s hard to do it; or when you could let it slide and let somebody else do it; or when it hurts to do it.
 

“Suppose you and that kid you don’t like on the next block have agreed to settle things with a fight after school. Maybe you know in your heart that the trouble is all your fault and the only reason you’re fighting is because you happen to be big and you know you can win. You know you ought to do the right thing and apologize to the other kid, but you’re afraid to, because you don’t want to appear yellow. You’re wondering which takes more courage, fighting or not fighting.”
 

It takes a lot of courage to be a missionary—to not fight (debate) when you want to fight; to live rules; to stand up sometimes to a companion who wants to do wrong; to knock on doors; to speak in Church; to bear your testimony; to find a way to keep busy; to continue with members who don’t seem interested in sharing the gospel; to say no to temptation; to eat your companion’s cooking; to make one or two more calls after a frustrating day that should have ended an hour ago; to continue working with a bishop or ward mission leader who is so busy that you feel like you’re intruding on his time; to be persistent and consistent in the face of challenges that seem almost too heavy to bear; to keep going, after being turned down time after time.
 

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, if they reject my words, and this part of my gospel and ministry, blessed are ye, for they can do no more unto you than unto me. . . . Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward” (D&C 6:29–33).

 

Your calling is to teach, to testify, and to warn. It is easy to do it among friends. Courage requires that you do it in the face of adversity, discouragement, and rejection.

 

Be strong and of a good courage! There are many examples in the scriptures of courage! Daniel - standing for what was right even when threatened with death. Abinadi - willingness to offer his life rather than deny the truth. the 2000 stripling warriors….Joseph Smith.

Joshua 1:9

Have not I commanded thee? be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the lord they god Is with thee withrsoever thou goest.

Wow, this area is GIGANTIC!!

I just want to start by saying that my other area walking it was maybe an hour to get from one side to the other. This area it’s a good two hours. The good part is that we have a lot of neat things in our district that my companion and I are planning on seeing when we have money.

So this area just got done baptizing about 5 people and my companion and I are now in the process of looking for new people to teach and help receive their own personal conversion. We have been blessed to have an ex-missionary that is a perfect example of how we never stop being missionaries. Basically all of his friends are new people for us and they all want to be baptized and have been to church a bunch of times it’s just a matter of finding the courage to be an example to your family.

This leads me to my study this for this week. I have been thinking a lot about what it takes to have the desire or courage to change in our lives. I want to invite you all to study this week and share with me what you find. I have find that it all starts with our motivation and what we want in our lives. The lord will supply the mediums in our lives to accomplish it. So I went to the topical guide in the bible to see what scriptures connect to desire and it connected to the words motivation and purpose. I found some really amazing scriptures in this study and one of them was in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that says: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. I know that sometimes in our lives we want certain things to happen. In this case we want everyone to accept the decision that we have made to be baptized but sometimes we need to have faith that the lord has a plan for us and when it’s right they will accept your choice and maybe be baptized at first. Sometime when we stand up for our faith we stand alone.

We have amazing power as sons and daughters of god we have the ability to control ourselves and our attitude no one else can tell us what we are thinking or how we feel. There are two scriptures that I really love in 2 Corinthians 10: 5, 7 The first talks about how we have to power to control our thoughts and by extension how we feel because we have this potential. In the second scripture it asks an amazing question and makes the statement that we are Christ and if we are Christ we will not look at other people as any less than we are because we all belong to him.

I love that every day I have a chance to serve people. We don’t just teach people we help people in whatever way that we can. There are days when I feel that I have nothing in me and I am completely exhausted these days I feel that I have done everything that I could to serve him.

I know that this church is true and I know that it can and will change your lives if you let it. All you need is a sincere desire to find out for yourselves if this is true. I have seen the changes in the people here I could give you a million examples and share a million testimonies about how I know these things in my very core but I invite you all to find out for yourselves. In the first book of Nephi he gives us a promise that I want to extend to you:

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

I love you all! Seek for yourselves.

Elder Packham

Transfers!

July 20th

So this week was transfer and it finally happened I will be the one changing this week. The surprising thing is that it won’t just be me but it will be my companion as well. I will be headed to the Culmena and he will be going to Valle Dorado. We both are really sad because we love this area so much the people here are incredible I hope that I will continue to love every area like I love this one. Ohh by the way we had another baptism this week. This family is so amazing and I hope that I don’t lose contact with them we have had so many great moments together spiritual, ridiculous, and sometimes awkward.

I have been learning a lot about real love this week and my entire mission really. I have learned what it means to really love the people that you are serving. With my companion this transfer we have had so many chances to serve-both planned and unplanned. It’s really true what it says in Preach My Gospel that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. The days are hard and long but every single one of them is worth it.

My companion and I were talking the other night and we had an interesting thought. Does heavenly father have faith in us? I think that he has more than just faith in us because he knows us perfectly he sees us as a whole person. He knows what we were before and knows what we are going to be. So why does he let us make mistakes why does he let things happen to help us grow, because he loves us perfectly. Its so simple but so profound it just hit me like a ton of brick the love of god for me. There is a peace that we can find that is stronger than anything in the world. John 14:27

I want to challenge all of you to pray for a way that you can serve others. The best and quickest way to feel the love and peace of God is to serve your fellow man. I have been filled with this love on my mission but you don’t have to be serving a full time mission to serve God and your fellow man. In the world today Satan tries to attack us by placing us in our own little bubble where we don’t have time for others or our own relationship with God. POP THAT BUBBLE! Go out and serve someone and you will change your perspective and it doesn’t even have to be that big of service.

I love you all!
Elder Packham

 

 

 

Maintaining an Eternal Perspective

July 13th

So this week has been an interesting one. It’s amazing how much your personal study of the scriptures can influence your whole day. I have been studying what an investigator needs in order to have the courage to change and accept the gospel in their life. This is something that we all must find-not just people that are interested in the Church. Elder Bednar said that if we aren’t changing we aren’t progressing and it’s true. The Lord’s plan for us is to change and to be better for the purpose of eventually returning to live with Him. If we choose to just maintain the status quo and not push ourselves to be better we will wake up tomorrow unchanged, unimproved, and ultimately unfulfilled.

I love this gospel and I know that I am changed from what I was years ago. I love that when I feel like I am alone or struggling that I can pray and receive the comfort of our savior Jesus Christ! I want you all to feel that same peace so that is why I write this email. I hope that I don’t come across as preachy but in reality that is my job every day, to declare the gospel. 

So back to eternal perspective. What is eternal perspective? It’s realizing where we came from, why we are here and where we are going. Most importantly it’s realizing that Heavenly Father sees us from the principio into the eternities, complete. For example a truth that I know that helps me every day is that before this life I chose the plan of Jesus Christ and I accepted that he would be my Savior. Along with that I accepted that this life would be in my own hands that I have the ability to choose liberty and eternal life or temporary happiness in the now. I have faith that God knows and loves me and He will do everything in His power to help me reach my eternal goals.

Sometimes we get sucked in to Satan’s plan and start to stress the chooses that we are going to have to make. The trick is that we shouldn’t worry! I’m not saying that we shouldn’t do anything I’m saying that we should do all we can and turn our worries over to god because they won’t profit us anything. I want to share with you all Philippians 4:6-9 do all that you can praying to god and look for the best things and do what Christ did and you will find your guidance in that.


Here is a link to a talk entitled:
Maintaining an Eternal Perspective

Open Hearts!!!!

So this week was a week of work and man was it fulfilling. We did great with all of our goals and we had a blast laughing and teaching. When we are walking and laughing its so much easier to talk to people because they can see that light that is in us. I know that this message changes lives for the better I see it in the lives of the people here. The people that the lord prepared and we were able to baptize have changed in amazing ways.

This week was hard. I know that I have so many things to change and so many weaknesses. One of the hardest things that I have found on the mission is finding the things that I have to change and the talents and abilities that I have to grow on the mission. I feel so imperfect sometimes and I don't know why the Lord would chose someone like me to come here to share this message at this time. I know that there are so many people smarter, better in the language, and more in-tune with the spirit but he chose me. I was reading old issues of the Liahona that we have in our apartment and I came across one that really made my day.

The spiritual thought that I have this week is about this Liahona. The story is about a jade lettuce in Taiwan and how this applies to our lives. So basically the price of jade is dependent on the purity of it but this piece of jade is different because one master carver decided to take a chance on this piece. Sometimes I feel like this is me I have a lot of faults and flaws but I was chosen to be worked on. I know that I can become perfect in my imperfections through the Lord.

I love you all so much I would encourage you all to read 2 Nephi 10: 23-25.

Love,
Elder Packham

Mayan Spa!!

No Time Today!

Last week Elder Packham had no time for his email so we got pictures instead with this message:

So I dont have time to write so I wrote yesterday. We had our first baptisms!!!